New York Governor Introduces Bill to Ban Plastic Bags

Plastic bags could be a thing of the past in New York if the Governor gets his way. Andrew Cuomo has introduced a bill that would ban all single-use plastic bags in the state.

"The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our environment," Governor Cuomo said. "As the old proverb goes: 'We did not inherit the earth, we are merely borrowing it from our children,' and with this action we are helping to leave a stronger, cleaner and greener New York for all."

A task force, created in March 2017, surveyed over a dozen New York municipalities with plastic bag laws. Currently, 10 cities, towns, and villages have plastic bag bans. One municipality has a plastic bag ban with a fee on single-use paper bags and bags that qualify as reusable.

Garment bags, trash bags and any bags used to wrap or contain certain foods, such as fruits and sliced meats would be exempt from the Governor's bill that would go into effect January 1, 2019.

New York City alone estimates to save over $12 million in disposal costs by reducing the number of single-use plastic bags. That doesn't include the significant cleanup costs to remove plastic through litter collection programs and beach and ocean cleanup efforts.